Position retaining mechanism for filling valves



Sept. 2,1 41. I I H. b. MAR-5* ,426,8

" POSITION RETAINING MECHANISM FOR FILLING VALVES Filed Dec. 30,. 1943 2Shets-Shej; 1

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H llhw k 1- H. D. AYARS POSITION RETAINING MECHANISM FOR FILLING VALVESSept. 2, 1947.

Filed Dec. 50, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 2, 194? UNETEDSTATES PATENT OFFEQE POSITION RETAINING MECHANISM FOR FILLING VALVESClaims.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a can fillingmachine and more particularly to the valve unit for controlling thedischarge of the liquid product from the measuring pocket into the can.In m prior Patent No. 2,362,793, granted Nov. 14, 1944, a fillingmachine is shown wherein the discharge of the liquid product from ameasuring pocket into the can is controlled by a rotary valve which isactuated by a stationary cam for closing the valve. The presentinvention has to do with a valve such as shown in my co-pendingapplication and an object of the improvement is to provide a meanswhereby when the rotar valve is moved to closed position through contactof the control arm therefor with a stationary cam, the valve will beyieldingly retained in said closed position so that it cannot rebound orcreep back to a position where dripping will occur,

A further object of the invention is to provide a discharge valve of theabove type having a plurality of discharge openings with means forpreventing the liquid product from being diverted outside of the canthat is being filled.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a view in vertical section through the lower end of ameasuring pocket showing the valve for controlling the dischargetherefrom and embodying the improvement for preventing the liquidproduct from being thrown outside of the can being filled.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the structural features shown in Figure 1with parts broken away to show the control arm for closing the valve andalso showing the cam which is actuated by the control arm for turningthe valve to a closed position.

Figure 3 is a side view of a portion of the valve housing and showing insaid elevation the mounting for the control arm which turns the valve toclosed position.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 3.

The invention is shown as applied to a filling machine of the typedisclosed more in detail in my prior Patent No, 2,362,793, granted Nov.14, 1944. Mounted for rotation with the tank is a series of measuringpockets which are filled with the liquid product while the tank ismoving through a portion of its travel. The improvement has to do withthe control valve which closes the pocket during filling and which opensthe pocket for discharging the contents to the can for filling the same.Referring to the drawings more in detail, the valve unit which isassociated with each of the measuring pockets includes a housing I whichis an extension of the measuring pocket and a part thereof. This housingI is closed by an integral partition member 2 and the partition member 2carries a hub sleeve 3 in which a valve stem 4 is mounted. The partition2 is provided with a series of discharge openings 5, 5. As shown inFigure 2 there are seven of these discharge openings. These dischargeopenings are controlled by a rotatable valve 6 which is secured to thelower end of the valve stem i. The valve stem is provided with a head iwhich fits in a recess in the IOWeI face of the valve 6. Mounted on thestem is an elastic pad 8 and a washer 9 which bears against the upperside of this elastic pad and yieldingly clamps the same against theupper end of the hub. A bolt IE3 is utilized for securing this washer 9to the stern of the valve.

The valve disk is provided with a series of openings H, II. There is oneopening for each discharge opening. These valve openings are slightlylarger than the discharge openings 5, 5. The under face of the valve isprovided with a recess l2 in which is located the valve opening II.There is preferably provided a depending rib it which surrounds theopening II and this Valve opening has its inner face tapered outwardly.At tached to the lower side of the valve and rotatable therewith is aguard ring it. The inner face of the guard ring is disposed at aslightly greater distance from the center of rotation of the valve thanthe openings ll in the valve. This inner face of the guard ring i4 is ofless diameter than the can which is to be filled which is indicated at Cin Figure 1. When the valve is turned so as to bring its openings l iinto register with the openings 5, then the liquid product in themeasuring pocket is discharged into the can beneath the valve unit. Itsometimes happens that pulp in the liquid product will catch on the edgeof the valve and cause the stream flowing from the measuring pocket intothe can'to be deflected outwardly away from the center of th valve sothat said stream passes outside of the can. This guard ring which isplaced between the valve and the can serves as a means for preventingthis discharging of the liquid product by streams which pass outside thecan. Any such stream which is deflected at the valve opening willcontact with the inner face of the guard ring and be deflected back intothe can.

The rotary valve 6 is provided with a radially projecting support I5 onwhich is mounted an arm i6 that is adapted to move the valve to openposition when a can has been placed beneath the valve unit for filling.The construction and operation of this valve opening means is fully setforth in my prior patent and further description is not thoughtnecessary. As a further means for controlling the valve 6, there isprovided a projecting portion I'l which carries a gear segment l8concentric with the axis of rotation of the valve. The valve housing Iis provided with two spaced bracket arms l9 and 26; mounted in thesebracket arms is a shaft 2| carrying a gear wheel 22 which meshes withthe gear segment It},

Located between the bracket arms l9, 20 and rigidly attached the shaftis a control arm 23. This control arm is carried by a split sleeve whichsurrounds the shaft and the sleeve is clamped to the shaft by a suitablebolt indicated at 24 in broken lines in Figure 2. Alongside of the pathof travel of the measuring pocket is a cam rail 25. Mounted on the camrail is a control cam 26. This control cam 26 contacts with the arm 23and serves as a means for closing the valve after the liquid product hasbeen fully discharged from the measuring pocket.

After a can is placed beneath a measuring pocket, then the control valve6 is turned to'open position by the arm I6 contacting with thestationary cam as set forth in my prior patent. When the can is nearlyfilled, it is desirable to partially close the valve so as to provide avery small dribble stream for the final filling of the can. This isaccomplished by the arm 23 contacting with the stationary fingeralongside of the path of travel of the valve unit and this will turn thearm to the position shown in broken lines'in Figure 2. This is theposition of the arm when it contacts with this closing cam 26. Theclosing cam which has an inclined face eccentric to the aXis of rotationof the tank will cause the arm to turn to the full line position inFigure 2. This closes the valve. So far, the structure for closing thevalve is similar to that shown in my prior patent. The improvementresides in providing the lower bracket arm 20 with a lateral extension27. The shaft 2| has a fiat section 28. A steel block 29 is pressed bymeans of a spring 30 against the shaft. A screw 3| threaded into theextension 2! serves as an abutment for the spring 30. This fiat section28 is so disposed in the shaft that the steel block will contacttherewith when the valve is moved to closed position. This providesa'yielding meanswhich holds the valve in closed position and prevents itfrom jumpin back or overthrowing when the control arm 23 contacts withthe cam 26 and leaves the same. The amount of pressure of the blockagainst the shaft can be adjusted by turning the screw 3!. The bushing32 in which the shaft rotates is cut away so as to permit this block tocontact with the shaft at all times. The block does not prevent freerotation of the shaft but does yieldingly hold the shaft when the valvehas moved to open position.

While there is shown a coil spring operating to press a block against afiat section of the shaft, it will be understood that various other waysmay be utilized for yieldingly holding the valve in its closed positionwithout departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in theappended claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a machine for filling cans, a measuring pocket having a pluralityof discharge openings, a rotary valve for controlling said openings,said valve having a gear segment concentric to the axis of rotation ofsaid valve, a gear meshing with said gear segment, a shaft mounted inbearings travelling with the measuring pocket for supporting andoperating said gear, an arm attached to said shaft for turning the samefor closing the valve and spring actuated means in said bearing forholding said shaft from turning when the valve is in closed position.

2. In a machine for filling cans, a measuring pocket having a pluralityof discharge openings, a'rotary valve for controlling said openings,said valve having a gear segment concentric to the axis of rotation ofsaid valve, 9. gear meshing with said gear segment, a shaft mounted inbearings travelling with the measuring pocket for supporting andoperating said gear, an arm attached to said shaft for turning the samefor closing the valve, and yielding means bearing against said shaft,said shaft having a flat portion adapted to be contacted with by saidyielding means when the valve is in closed position.

3. In a machine for filling cans, a measuring pocket having a pluralityof discharge openings, a rotary valve for controlling said openings,said valve having, a gear segment concentric to the axis of rotation ofsaid valve, said measuring pocket having projecting bracket armsproviding bearings for a, shaft, agear cam mounted on said shaft andmeshing with said gear segment, an arm mounted on said shaft betweensaid bracket arms, a stationary cam member adapted to contact with saidshaft arm for moving the valve to closed position, and spring actuatedmeans for holding the shaft from turning when the valve is in closedposition.

4.1a a machine for filling cans, a measuring pocket having a pluralityof discharge openings, a rotary valve for controlling said openings,said valve having a gear segment concentric to the axis. of rotation ofsaid valve, said measuring pocket having projecting bracket armsproviding bearings for a shaft, 2. gear cam mounted on said shaft andmeshing with said gear segment, an arm mounted on said shaft betweensaid bracket arms, a stationary cam member adapted to contact with saidshaft arm for moving the valve to closed position, one of said bracketarms having an extension, a block mounted in a bore in said extensionand adapted to engage the shaft, a spring bearing on said block and anadjustable abutment screw bearing on said spring, said shaft having aflat portion disposed so as to contact with said block when the valvehas been turned to closed position. v

5. A valve for controlling the discharge of liguid into a receptaclecomprising a housing forming part ofa-measuring pocket and having thelower end thereof closed except for a plurality of concentrically spaceddischarge ports, a valve plate rotatably supported by the housing and inabutting relation with the outer face of said ported portion, said valveplate having a plurality of spaced ports therethrough concentric withand Number adapted to be aligned and disaligned with the ports in thehousing, said valve having a depending guard ring carried thereby, theinner face of which is cylindrical and disposed so as to surroundthjeports in the valve for aiding in directing the liquid productpassing through said ports into the recepta'cle'beneath the valve.

HARRY D. AYARS.

REFERENCES orrE The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,986,252 Couran Jan, 1, 1935

